Page 14 of Daddy’s Little Chaos Gremlin (The Lactin Brotherhood)

14

ZEPHYR

“I-it’s huge.” Fear surged through me as I peered out the window at the house we’d pulled up in front of. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined anything like this. “How do you not get lost?”

“It’s not that big,” Tristan declared. “Some spaces, like my studio and Daddy’s office, are double rooms, so there’s only one door going in and out. Those are downstairs, along with the den and the library, they’re double rooms, too, and connected by a door in the middle. It’s got video game consols and a ton of games. We can stream on every TV but the one in the den is huge. There’s a little dinette in the corner, with a fridge that’s always stocked with drinks and snacks. Daddy even has a popcorn maker with a bunch of toppings to shake on.”

“Cool.”

“Our bedroom and the playroom are on the first floor, and there’s a special room between them that only Daddy has the key for. That’s for kinky time. Wait until you see all the toys Daddy made.”

“Like paddles and floggers?” I asked, suddenly very interested to see the contents of the kinky room.

“Uh-huh, and he carves his own canes, too. The bamboo ones make my bottom sting, but he doesn’t use those very often. Only when I’ve been super, super naughty. He mostly just makes soft things to torment us with, like velvet cuffs and fluffy blindfolds, ohh and a cat of nine tails that will make you beg, it’s so slinking and cold when Daddy soaks it in ice water.”

I couldn’t hold back the little shudder that tore through me, then Daddy’s fingers skimmed up the back of my neck and I groaned and melted against him.

“You’ll have your introduction to the room soon enough,” Daddy murmured. “But I believe a tour of the rest of the place is in order first.”

“O-okay,” I murmured, still intimidated by the looming manor house that sat on top of the hill we were currently driving up.

If it wasn’t a mansion, it was close, and I just knew that I was going to get turned around and lost in there.

“Is my room close to yours?” I asked, a little ball forming in my throat, making it difficult to swallow. “Is it close to the bathroom?”

“Our room is your room, and it has an ensuite bathroom,” Daddy explained. “There’s always a nightlight on, so you never have to worry about being able to find it in the dark, and there are LED lights along the baseboards of every hallway.”

“I don’t like the dark, so Daddy had them installed,” Tristan explained.

“What about all of our things?” I asked. “Don’t we have to go back to the apartment to get them?”

“Nope,” Daddy explained. “I already had everything moved while we were gone. Your things are in our room, and you have your own dresser and space in the closet to use.”

“Whoa.”

I stayed in his arms as the car had pulled up beneath a vine-covered gazebo behind the house, and the driver got out and opened the door.

“Come on, you’ve gotta see the playroom first,” Tristan said, nearly falling as he tried to tug me out behind him.

“You may take him to see the playroom last ,” Daddy cautioned. “But no playing. It’s almost lunchtime. We need to show him the whole house before one of us gets sucked into something and he’s left to fend for himself.”

I kept a firm hold of Tristan’s hand as I followed him out of the vehicle, but a shimmery sparkle caught my eye two steps from the door, and I turned to see a pool bordered by bamboo, hedges, a wooden deck and several deck chairs. The whole space resembled a zen garden, with a large lotus fountain prominently placed at the center of the little pond bordering the pool. I wondered if there were fish in there and would have wandered over if Tristan hadn’t given my hand a squeeze and reminded me that he was waiting to show me the inside of the house.

“We can swim after our food settles,” Tristan said, following the line of my gaze to the pool. “We have to wait a half hour after we eat, though, Daddy’s rule, so we can play a little then.”

“Okay,” I said, following him inside to be greeted by the best scent ever.

“Ohh, that’s Theo’s chicken and dumplings!” Tristan squealed. “He’s baked something, too, I can smell it. We’re in for an awesome welcome home lunch.”

“Will I get to meet him?” I asked. “Does he live here, too?”

“He does, his room is up the hall from ours. This is his home, too,” Daddy explained as he joined us in a sunny space filled with couches, chairs and several small, low tables strategically placed between them.”

“This is the lounge where we entertain guests before we head into the formal dining room, which is right through here,” Daddy said before ushering us through tall French doors and into a space with the longest table I’d ever seen.

Fifteen chairs sat around it. I knew because I counted while I listened to Daddy explain that we never ate in there unless we were hosting a dinner party and those only happened once a month. Talk about a sense of relief. While I was used to performing, I wasn’t used to socializing with the people I performed for. In fact, I’d been taught to look fabulous and stay silent, it was supposed to preserve some of the mystique and allure. Paulie’s mom had pulled us aside several times, to caution us about not going off with anyone. I used to think that she told us that to keep us safe. Now I wondered if she only said it because she didn’t want any competition when someone caught her eye.

There was a wide ledge along the wall at the head of the table, a wall that was empty of everything but the ledge, which stuck out so far that it rested right beside a tall, wing-backed chair that looked more like a throne than an actual seat.

“That’s where you’ll be, during formal suppers,” Daddy explained, walking me over to it the ledge. “And this is where I’ll be, right beside you so I can feed you from my plate.”

“That’s what you meant by being a display piece,” I said as I turned to Tristan.

“Yup, you won’t have to talk or interact, and no one is allowed to touch you,” Tristan explained. “That’s why the ledge is designed that way. We cover it with blankets and pillows, too, and I only tie you up right before Daddy is ready to bring our guests into the room. We’ll practice beforehand to make sure the position is comfortable for you.”

“And I’ll be right there if you need to get down before the meal is through,” Daddy explained.

“Do I get to nurse from you before I get up there?” I asked, loving the setup the longer I studied it.

“Of course,” Daddy said. “You are welcome to nurse any time of the day or night, even if it’s just for comfort and not because you’re hungry.”

“Really?”

“Until you joined us, I’d been ending each day uncomfortable and engorged, having to pump just to be able to fall asleep. Some mornings I’ve had to pump, too, when I woke up too early to be able to wait for Tristan. I hate waking him because once he’s up, he’s up, no matter how early it is, and he always rebels against taking a nap, even when he needs one, which is why bedtime is strictly enforced.”

Tristan gave a sheepish little shrug, and I felt for him. I never wanted to take naps, either. I hated missing any part of the day, or evening, so I never slept more than six hours anyway. I’d noticed that even in the hotel, lights out had been at midnight and it had been non-negotiable, no matter what we were watching or doing at the time. It meant I’d been awake at six and fidgeting when Daddy had woken up not long after. Recalling how eager he’d been for me to latch right on, I now knew I’d have that kind of feast to look forward to every morning. Talk about starting the day out right.

“I’m sure that there will even be times when I seek you out to have you nurse, just because things are getting uncomfortable for me, or because I have a long video call to be on, or a tedious morning ahead. I want you cozy and latched on, where I can stroke your hair and nuzzle you while you nurse as I deal with whatever tedious thing already has my blood pressure spiking before I’ve gotten started.”

Now that made me feel super good. I’d still been worried about what I’d be able to contribute when I wasn’t being Tristan’s muse, now it was clear just how much they both needed me and in very distinct and specific ways. I’d always longed to be a companion, hell, I’d always longed to have a patron who let me create performance routines of my own to entertain his friends with. Now I had that and so much more. I had an actual purpose. I couldn’t wait to see what a full day here would be like and the routine they followed, so I could find my place within it.

“Up here is where we eat our regular meals,” Daddy said, as we went up three short steps, into a cozy little nook with a huge bay window and a picnic table in front of it. It reminded me of the one at the apartment, only this one had seating for six and a bouquet of fresh cut flowers in a vase at the center of it.

“We might as well sit down,” Daddy said as he pulled a chair out for me. “Theo will have lunch on the table momentarily. The rest of the tour can wait until after we’ve had the chance to eat.”

As if on cue, my tummy rumbled and I sat beside Tristan, where I could look out the window at the pool and the rings the inflatable rafts hung off of. The one in the front looked like a giant slice of pepperoni pizza.

“I love to float and draw,” Tristan explained. “I can spend the whole afternoon that way.”

“Ohh I bet. I can spend all day floating, too.”

“Then we’ll all head out after the tour,” Daddy declared. “A bit of floating and some music are exactly what we need after the delay at the airport and the long flight we had.”

Daddy still wasn’t happy about having to conduct a last-minute meeting at the airport last night, but he’d said that flying out without sitting down with Sebastian first and hearing what he had to say would just have led to him having to turn around and fly right back in less than a week, something he wasn’t in the mood to deal with. I couldn’t blame him. The flight had been long and even bundled in my hoodie and an extra blanket Daddy had tucked around me, I’d been restless and cold. Daddy had kept a steady stream of movies playing and sometimes Tristan woke up and watched a little bit with us, but mostly, he’d slept the whole way back, while I’d nursed from Daddy and watched all the How to Train Your Dragon movies.

It would be so cool if dragons were real, I’d love to ride on the back of one, even if it meant that I risked getting eaten trying to train one first. It would be so worth it. I wondered if they made dragon floaties for the pool. If I couldn’t have a real one, that would be close enough. Or even one of those dragon bean bag chairs, that would be cool to watch movies in. Tristan said he had a huge one that looked like a cat’s paw and that Daddy would get me one, too, if I wanted. I didn’t want a kitty’s paw, but I’d love one of the dragon ones I’d seen on social media. They did look kinda big, though. There might not be room in their den for one that size.

A pang of worry rippled through me when a large, imposing man stepped out of the kitchen with tribal tattoos running down his arms. His long midnight hair was pulled back in a thick braid, and he had a black and silver bandana tied around his forehead. His apron matched. The front was covered with the image of a shiny silver knife that looked like it had been forged out of lightning bolts. Beneath it was the word sizzling.

The little dish of bacon bits and caramelized onions he set beside my bowl crackled, and I glanced over at Tristan, to see him carefully pour them over the contents of his bowl, which was a whole size bigger than mine. He even knew my portions. I wouldn’t have any trouble at all finishing what he’d served me.

“Thank you,” I said, flooded with gratitude while I smiled up at Theo.

Daddy hadn’t been embellishing the degree to which he’d relayed my food preferences. Instead of sparkling lemonade, like Tristan was given, I received a smoothie that smelled like lemons and strawberries. I could taste both and coconut water when I took a sip.

“Oh my gosh, that’s so good.”

“There are three containers in the fridge that already contain the correct fruit portions,” Theo explained. “Whenever you need another smoothie, just add lemonade from the pitcher and attach the blades. Have you ever used a bullet blender before?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ohh, now don’t you go sir-ing me,” he replied with a chuckle. “It took me long enough to break Tristan of that mess. While I appreciate the show of respect, we’re family here. You just call me Theo, but don’t call me on my day off.”

Daddy and Tristan chimed in with him at the end of his statement, the three of them laughing together as Theo brought his food and Daddy’s and joined us at the table.

“So, what’s on the agenda for the rest of the day?” Theo asked.

“How about you hook us up with a fruit salad and a caprese tonight, and I’ll put some steaks on the grill,” Daddy said. “We can eat poolside and break out the floating flamingo ring toss game, and that inflatable cornhole set we picked up a few weeks back. It hasn’t even made it out of the box yet.”

“Now that we have enough for teams, it should,” Theo declared as he dug into the meal. “As long as the chaos gremlin doesn’t decimate the strawberry margarita cupcakes I made for lunch, we’ll have plenty for supper. Zephyr, I made mini cupcakes for you, so you wouldn’t have to worry about cutting a big one in half. You will never offend me by having to do that, just so you know. I don’t want you to feel like you’re going to hurt my feel-bads if you can’t finish what I give you, either. It might take me a little while to get your portions just right.”

“This is perfect,” I replied, touched by his thoughtfulness with the cupcakes. “And I super appreciate you making mini-cupcakes. I really do like sweets, I’ve just always been afraid of indulging. What are feel-bads?”

He chuckled at that, and I could tell that he loved to laugh. He wasn’t the least bit scary, either, just tall and muscular with a demeanor like Daddy’s, stern and laser focused. I was glad that I wasn’t a food thief like Tristan. I’d have been shaking in my socks at the thought of facing his wrath if I went raiding. Something told me he’d have as many creative punishments as Daddy and probably some that would involve scrubbing pots and pans.

“Just feelings, kid, just feelings,” he replied. “Food is supposed to be a fun experience, not something to fear. I don’t think people ever realize how much you can traumatize someone, especially a child, when you criticize the way they eat. As long as you’re putting something in your belly, we’ll get along just fine.”

“As yummy as this is you won’t have a problem with me eating.”

“Good, as long as we’re understood,” Theo said. “I picked up a few sets of shallow bowls and small dishes, which will help me keep my measurements right. You just let me know anytime something needs changing, or you need something added to the list of things that you can’t stomach.”

Worry hit me as I stared across the table at him. “Are you sure it won’t be too much trouble to do that every day?” I asked.

“My title is personal chef, not head cook at the buffet stand. That means I tailor meals to the individual people in the home, I don’t just make blanket dinners. Tristan doesn’t eat pork, so when I make bacon, his is turkey. Rowan won’t touch rice no matter the color or flavor. Says it looks too much like a pile of maggots to him. I can see it, sort of, but I love me some rice and Tristan is a huge fan of fried rice bowls, so when I make them, Rowan gets rice noodles or Lo Mein instead. Would you like rice or would you prefer noodles?”

“I love rice noodles,” I said, pleased to have been given options and to already feel comfortable enough just in talking to him, to be specific about the kind. “I like fried rice, too, especially when it has fluffy egg pieces in it.”

“Theo’s are the fluffiest,” Tristan pipped up before immediately diving back into his favorite dish.

His bowl was almost empty while mine was, whoa, almost empty, too, even when I’d just been nibbling while listening to Theo. My tummy didn’t feet stuffed, either, not even after I took a few more sips of my smoothie. I just felt good and excited to see the rest of the house.

“I do pride myself on that,” Theo said. “You can ruin a whole dish with rubbery eggs.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Daddy added.

“I think a few virgin daiquiris will be in order tonight, too,” Theo said. “I still have plenty more strawberries left.”

“You make sure you throw a shot or two of the good stuff in mine when you’re making yours,” Daddy said, prompting a chuckle from Theo.

“When I mix up that fruit salad, I’ll make some sweetened lime juice to drizzle over it, and some cream for the top,” Theo said. “Would you like me to put some aside in small portions, so you’ll have a snack to go with your between-meal smoothies?”

Daddy smiled and gave me a little nod, letting me know that it was completely up to me.

“I’d love that,” I said and watched Theo’s face light up in a grin.

Performing in front of crowds had taught me how to read people. He really was okay with having to do a little extra just for me. It would have been more than enough to get three meals a day that I didn’t have to worry about scrounging up or retrieving from a cramped kitchen space where two people were fighting. Tensions had been simmering on the last leg of that trip, so much so that Paulie and I had taken to warming things over the campfire while we tried not to listen to what was going on inside the RV. A few times people had complained about the noise, and once we’d had to pack up and move in the middle of the night, when Paulie’s folks had pissed off the couple next door so bad they’d bypassed the campground manager and just called the cops.

Okay, so it hadn’t been the noise that had been the biggest issue, it had been the way Paulie’s mom had dressed and the way she’d only chose to practice her splits and contortions when the husband had been outside of their trailer, unabashedly drooling over everything he saw. It had been a big part of the argument, too, only Paulie and I had just thought she was doing it to get his dad’s attention, since he’d been super busy lately and constantly leaving the campgrounds to meet up with people and work out the details of the gigs he’d been setting up for us. There had probably been some truth to that, too, but by then, I’m guessing there had been a lot more to it.

This space felt nothing like the vibe in that RV. It was tranquil and laid back here. The conversation over the meal slipped into one that involved Daddy and Theo chatting about a mixed martial arts pay-per-view that they intended to watch later in the week and if a wing platter or meatball subs would be best to accompany the entertainment.

“How does wings and cheesecake bites sound to you boys?” Daddy asked.

“Real wings or fake nuggies?” Tristan asked. “Please no fake nuggies. Wings are supposed to have bones in them, otherwise, they’re just cut up pieces of chicken breasts.”

“There will be real wings or no wings at all,” Daddy promised.

“I love wings!” I declared. “And cheesecake bites sound awesome.”

“Just make sure you pick up an assortment this time,” Theo chastised, prompting a sheepish grin from Daddy. “I know you don’t mind chocolate on top of brownie batter, on top of more chocolate, but some of us wouldn’t mind a little cookies and cream, or even key lime on occasion.”

“You tell him, Theo,” Tristan said, happily waving his fork. “Even strawberry swirl would be nice occasionally, and he completely forgot to get my cappuccino and cream bites last time.”

“In my defense, I took one look at the chocolate covered espresso beans on the top and started picturing you with the zoomies and me spending the rest of the night having to chase you just to bundle you into bed.”

I glanced over at my new big brother just in time to see Tristan scowl and begin to pout. “Awe, it wouldn’t have been that bad.”

“There were three beans on top of each piece,” Daddy declared. “That’s two more beans than you should ever be allowed to consume at once.”

It felt good to sit at a table where everyone was laughing, happy, and giving one another shit like the families on television. It had been like that when I’d first joined Paulie and his parents, which was what had made me fall in love with living on the road with them. It was all that I needed to see to know that I was going to love living here with Daddy, Tristan and Theo. I just hoped it lasted forever this time.